The Kitchen Bouquet 
PARSLEY, SAGE THYME, SAVORY, MARJORAM, DILL, MINT, TARRAGON, BASIL, 
ANISE, AND THE REST—HOW THEY ARE CULTIVATED 
AND HOW USED IN COOKING 
BY J. V. ROACH 
Photographs by Nathan R. Graves 
T HE aromatic plants that make up the kitchen bouquet 
do not play the important part in American cookery 
that they do in European. The English housewife uses 
many varieties of herbs scarcely known in America, while 
the French chef and the German frau are well versed in the 
fine flavors produced by the addition of a pinch of sweet 
herbs. The cultivation of these herbs is not so difficult 
but that everyone can have a few of the more popular ones 
in the garden. The 
strength and fineness of 
the flavor depend mostly 
upon the harvesting and 
curing of herbs. They 
should be gathered in 
the morning as soon as 
the dew is off and before 
the hot sun has taken 
the oil from the leaves. 
Herbs should be har¬ 
vested just before the 
first blossoms appear, as 
the plants are then rich¬ 
est in oil. To dry the 
herbs, a dry, warm, airy 
place is essential, and 
they must be well dried 
before storing for winter. 
Oven drying is much 
quicker, but the oil is apt 
to evaporate before the 
leaves get dry. Glass 
or tin receptacles are 
best for storing dried 
herbs, as cardboard, or 
paper, absorbs too much 
of the oil and fragrance. 
Sage loses its strength very rapidly and is generally weak 
if kept for more than one year. For herbs whose seeds are 
used for seasoning, the following method of curing is pref¬ 
erable: After the dew is off and the sun has dried the 
plants, gather the ripe seed heads and spread loosely upon 
closely woven cloth, placed where a warm, dry current of 
air will pass over and through them. In a few days the 
seeds will be dry enough to be rubbed out between the 
palms of the hands. They should again be dried, as the 
least moisture spoils the seeds after they are stored. 
With the exception of tarragon, which never produces 
fertile flowers, the herbs may be grown from seed. As the 
seeds and seedlings are so very small it is better to plant in 
shallow boxes, and transplant once into small pots or other 
boxes before moving into the open garden. All of the 
perennial herbs can be propagated from cuttings or layers. 
The soil for herbs should be a fairly rich garden soil. If 
the soil is too rich, the plants will grow to rankToliage at 
the expense of the oil. 
Parsley, a biennial, is mostly grown as an annual from 
seed. The seeds are very slow to germinate and must be 
given plenty of time. It is one of the best known of the 
herbs and is often used as a garnish. The dark green leaves 
should be gathered for drying, but the plant can easily be 
kept green throughout the winter in a box in the kitchen 
window. 
Sage, used mostly to 
flavor dressing for pork, 
goose or duck, is a per¬ 
ennial shrub which may 
be grown from seed, or 
propagated by means of 
layers; that is^by peg¬ 
ging down a branch and 
covering with half an 
inch or more of earth. 
■ Thyme, another shrub, 
is not so widely known 
as sage, but is a finer, 
less pungent flavor for 
dressing and is used to 
flavor sauces for boiled 
meats and fish. It is 
grown inTnuch the same 
manner as sage. 
Savory is of two kinds, 
summer or annual, and 
winter or perennial. The 
annual is generally raised 
and the early spring seed¬ 
lings may be first nipped 
in June. The leaves 
and tendertops are used 
with marjoram and thyme to season the dressing for roast 
turkey, veal or fish. 
Marjoram is of two species, Pot and Sweet. Pot is a 
perennial and grows about two feet high. Sweet marjoram, 
an annual, is much smaller and can be cut first in June. 
It is used mostly as a seasoning for fish. 
Mint is closely associated with spring lamb. It propa¬ 
gates so readily by means of each joint rooting and forming 
a new plant, that it soon becomes a weed if left to itself and 
does not often find a place in a well tilled garden. A rather 
damp, unused corner of the yard is a good spot in which to 
grow the wherewithal for the mint sauce or julep. 
(' Dill, of which both stalks and seeds are used in pickling, 
should be sown in drills fifteen to eighteen inches, and the 
plants thinned to eight inches. 
Fennel is grown much the same as dill. Florence fennel, 
{Continued on page 12) 
Dill, ot which both stalks and seeds are used in pickling; and marjoram, 
used as a seasoning for fish 
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